A Friends' Warmth
by Screamin' Eagles
Summary: Getting caught in the rain is never fun, but sometimes, it washes away the past and opens a door to a new future. For Nick Wilde, a rainstorm means refuge from an unexpected friend - one he had nearly forgotten in his new life. My first fanfiction, but definitely not my last! Give me some criticism, constructive or not! I'm new to this business!
A drizzle of rain falling down over him, Nick Wilde was slowly making his way down the sidewalks of a not-so-busy evening in Zootopia. The suspected storm had begun while he on his way to a certain bunny's house, his friend, Judy, and he had an umbrella for the occasion. Besides this, he adorned his normal getup for a weekend afternoon - A green, collared shirt, a loose, striped blue tie, and khakis covering the red fur of his legs. His clothes were creased and ruffled from the discomfort of staying as small as possible underneath his umbrella, but he didn't look very different than he usually did.

The streets were all bland, grey, and empty, for few animals wished to be out in weather like this, so he hadn't had trouble going to his friend's apartment; an uncomfortable two-mile walk for him. Nick never totally understood why he neglected to ride the subway, but he walked nearly everywhere. Being cramped inside of a metal canister with a bunch of other mammals he would never know didn't make him comfortable. It might have been the con-man in him, but he prefered the unexpected route, even when the weather forecast called for heavy rains - although it wasn't coming down very hard.

He turned corner after corner, avoided puddle after puddle, and was just a block from the large, dirty building Judy called home when the weather suddenly worsened. His already-strained grin began to escape his face as he realized the news was more correct than he had assumed. He tried vainly to shrink himself even more, and loosened his grip on his umbrella for a second. And, as the universe tends to cause problems, there happened to be a particularly strong gust of wind and that particular umbrella flew out of his grasp.

Nick gasped and sprinted for cover as the rain soaked through his clothes, fur, and skin. His tie flew along behind him as he dove underneath the overhang of a roof - on the wrong side of the building he had planned on entering. The concrete wall felt icy against his skin, and he shivered violently. His paws involuntarily dragged quickly across his arms in an attempt to warm him.

Head turning to the left and the right, his eyes probed for any way to enter the dirty building from that side. All he saw was a sideways lake of grey, with a river at one end and a van partially hidden in the shadows at the other.

So there he stayed for several minutes, his eyes closed, his breath ragged. Then, he couldn't help but laugh and look out through the entrance to the alley he took shelter in. "Look at me now. What a mess." He spoke aloud to himself, gazing down at his now-soiled clothes. It didn't bother him as much as it would have most mammals - he had plenty of shirts, ties, and pants that matched the ones he wore then.

Suddenly, from inside the alleyway, there came a sudden bang and a deep, throaty yell. Nick's head pivoted, hoping that there was an exit that he hadn't noticed, but he only saw the van shutter slightly. His time training as a police officer (However short he had been on the force) crept into his mind.

He began to slowly walk toward the van, which he couldn't see properly in the darkness, and heard another angry shout from inside. Nick's eyes widened, and then he relaxed. He knew the voice. Nick covered his head and walked into the rain to get a better look at the van.

Color drained into his vision as he recognized red and orange. He peeked to the side and saw a fox - dressed as a warrior - holding an unconscious vixen in his arms in a classic hero-movie style. Nick smiled and sighed, it was a familiar sight he hadn't seen in awhile. He went up to the back of the van.

Nick held up a paw and rapped twice on the outside of one of the doors, before taking a quick step backward. He knew exactly what to do in this situation, because almost instantly after the knocks rattled the metal door, it was swung open forcefully and a fennec fox, angrily grasping a wooden baseball bat in two paws, emerged aggressively. His fur was messy, his clothes full of creases, and he had a wild look in his brown eyes.

"WHO IS IT? WHAT THE HELL DO-" The small fox yelled in a low, unfitting bass voice before his eyes fell on Nick and he stopped mid-sentence. "Nick?"

"The one and only. What a small world it is, that I happen to find you parked in the same alleyway I'm cowering in, Finny. What's new?" Nick said to the little fox. He then visibly shook, the cold taking its toll on his body, and he hugged himself forcefully in an attempt to regain a bit of heat.

They stared silently at each other for a few seconds - One pitiful and desperate, the other angry and suspicious - before the smaller fox kicked open the other door and threw the baseball bat at Nick. The latter was so caught off-guard by the sudden attack, it hit him squarely in the forehead and knocked him to the ground, where he landed with a depressing plop. "You disappear for three months, and all you can say is 'What's new?' ' _What's new?!'_ Not even you are that low! What the hell, Nick?!" He yelled as Nick slowly picked himself up off the ground, rubbing his paws over his eyelids. The fox turned and grabbed the first thing he could: An empty glass bottle. He turned back to Nick, who had just raised himself back up, and threw it at him. The fox dodged, and Finnick slammed the door. The bottle shattered loudly against the hard asphalt.

Nick sighed and winced, feeling as if his eyes were rattling around in his skull. Pressing a finger to his left temple, he gave another timid knock on the door. A muffled 'Go away' met his call for attention. He leaned against the door. "Finny, don't be like that. I haven't completely ignored you…" He thought for a moment, before shaking his head, a guilty smile flooding his face. "Okay, nevermind, yes I have, but I'm here now, and I feel terrible! Let's be handymen and mend broken fences, ol' pal! Lemme in, please!"

"No!" Came a smothered reply.

"...But I'm cold, I'll die out here!"

"Go _away,_ Nick!"

He thought for a second and shivered, realizing he had to think quick. "I'll give you a dollar!"

There was a quick scuffle before the door opened again. "Are you trying to bribe me?" The little fox asked angrily.

Nick blinked for a few seconds, surprised that the idea had even escaped his mouth. "...Is it working?" he asked hesitantly.

The fennec was visibly working out the deal in his head before he groaned and turned back into the dimly-lit van. Nick heard him kicking things around before yelling from inside the semi-darkness, "Well? Are you coming in or not?" He threw a bag of trash outside of the van door, nearly hitting Nick, presumably to make room for the other fox inside. "And grab me the bat!"

Nick bent down, picked up his friend's assault weapon, and quickly jogged up to the opening and climbed in, closing the metallic door behind him with a crash. The noise reverberated in the small room, and he winced from the sound in his ears. "How do you not suffer hearing damage from… Almost _everything_ that ever happens here?" He asked the little fox, who was climbing into the driver's seat.

Nick glanced around at the absolutely trashed space, a small wave of nostalgia passed over him. Around a suitcases' worth of clothing was scattered around the vehicle, with an epicenter over a tiny cot. A mini-fridge was placed directly behind the driver's seat, fastened crudely into place by bungee cords and duct tape. The familiar smell of sweat and alcohol would have made him smile if it didn't make him cringe. A wastebin lie on its side in another corner, and Nick saw a slight head-shaped indent in the wall, where the fennec had probably fallen, hit his head, and made the noise that drew his attention.

"What was that?" Finnick asked once he was situated, awkwardly turning around in his seat to eye Nick, who couldn't help but focus on the slight lump beneath the fur of his friend's forehead. He just put a paw to his own forehead and sighed.

"Nevermind."

Finnick was annoyed, his curiosity had been caught. "No, you aren't pulling that now. What'd you say? Your shelter's on the line." He told Nick threateningly, pointing a finger at him. Nick just threw up his paws in mock-fright, fighting to keep a grin off of his face.

He lowered his arms and put them behind his back, the bat still in one paw. "I was saying just how much I missed you, buddy. It's been so long since I got to be greeted by your… _majestic_ self." He said in the most flattering tone he could muster. "The constant yelling, violence, and grime I'd grown away from." Smiling widely, his eyelids half closed, he batted his eyelashes innocently at Finnick's suspicious gaze.

The fennec fox in the driver's seat huffed and turned toward the wheel, turning the ignition and starting the vehicle. "Don't push your luck." He warned. "And get up here, before _I_ push _you_." Nick began to climb into the passenger seat. He was halfway there before Finnick pressed lightly on the pedal and made the car lurch forward. Nick heard his friend snigger as he fell forward with a yelp of surprise, falling face-first into the seat. Crawling into a normal sitting position and buckling his seatbelt, he was silently willing the fox next to him to die.

Nick was the first to speak, wrestling annoyance out of his voice. "So what's new with my favorite little foxy?" he asked his old friend, who just shook his head.

"Same thing I've always done, just without _you_ doing the talking." He began to turn in the alley, so he could get the van out nose-first.

"So you've managed without me? Good. I knew you had it in you, little guy." Nick grinned, patting his friend's head. The little fox growled.

"Give me the bat..." He muttered through clenched teeth. "So I can hit you on the back of the head and give you a lump to match the one up front." Finnick stretched out a paw. Nick's paw moved to his forehead to feel the goose egg that had formed there and winced.

"I'd much rather you didn't, thanks." Nick told him, handing the bat to the fennec reluctantly. "My head hurts enough as it- BREAK!"

Nick's shout was so sudden, Finnick slammed on the brakes without thinking. He flew forward, his already-injured head striking the strong glass, while Nick's seatbelt kept him from moving. A hot red muscle car thundered by in front of them, a squealing and roaring squad car in hot pursuit. If he hadn't seen it in his peripherals, they would be roadkill.

"Flash, Flash, the hundred yard dash is at it again, it seems..." Nick grumbled shakily as the driver peeled himself from the windshield.

"...Thanks." The fennec grumbled, catching Nick off guard. The car didn't move for a few seconds. He felt impatient, and he couldn't help but look at what was holding up his friend.

Finnick was staring at him, a look of speculation on his face. Nick looked down at himself - There was nothing abnormal, besides the fact that he was thoroughly soaked with chilled rainwater. "I've never seen you care about car safety. When did you start wearing a seatbelt?" He asked, a slightly surprised tone in his voice. He had caught the detail in a sideward glance.

Oh, right. The seat belt, Nick thought. "It.. Kinda comes as a requirement for my new line of work." He said slowly. The fennec fox didn't say anything for a minute, but focused intently on backing the van into the near-empty road. The tires made little v's in the puddles that had formed. Even the little fox - who was notorious for reckless driving - was taking it slow in the weather as he peeked over the high steering wheel.

After they had driven for a few seconds, Finnick spoke again, "So you got yourself a fancy new job, huh? What'd you do, get back on Mr. Big's good side?"

"Hardly. I'm still afraid he'll ice me every time I see him." Nick heard Finnick chuckle, and couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Silly, since I see him two or three times a week." Then, he couldn't help but let guilt creep up on him at leaving Finnick hanging for so long. "I… Uhh… I work with Judy now. As a police officer." He told his friend slowly.

Finnick slammed on the brakes, at a red light, luckily. "You? You're a cop?!" He exclaimed. The van was quickly filled with his hearty laughter, and a few cars honked their horns at them before he began to drive again. "Damn, son, she hustled you so good you ended up her partner!" His laughter soon turned into coughing. "So…" He wheezed, a smile on his little face. "Is she your girlfriend now? Don't worry, I'll judge you silently."

Nick froze, his face getting warm. "No, n-no, it's not like that at all! We're just friends." He explained rapidly, stumbling over his words. He then took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Yeah, yeah. I'm a copper. Put your seatbelt on before I give you a ticket." He threatened the little fox in an attempt to sway his attention. Finnick just grinned and pulled the strap over his waist: The part that would reach his chest was too far up for him.

Then, Finnick became a little sheepish. His ears twitched. "All that stuff that we'd done before… The scamming and that… We good, right?" He hazarded. Now it was Nick's turn to laugh.

"Don't worry, little guy. Daddy's not speaking a word." He said, his sly grin back on his lean muzzle. The grin grew as he watched the little fennec turn red, his large eyes squinting angrily.

The fox sat up straighter in an attempt to see over the wheel better. "I'm nearly seven years older than you, you weasel. Don't treat me like a little kid." He told Nick in a threatening voice, who simply rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't aware I was related to Weaselton, Finn." He retorted, smiling as the little fox just sighed angrily. He had always been short-tempered, and it didn't help that Nick was very good at annoying other animals. He sought after it, but always meant good fun. It sometimes bothered him if he took it really far, but at that point, he usually smoothed out the wrinkles before starting again. "Don't get so heated. I'm just giving you a hard time." He punched his friend playfully in the arm.

Finnick just shook his head. "I know. I miss you sometimes - You're a breath of fresh air compared to some of the other mammals I can synchronize with."

They both thought of Duke. Nick chuckled, but they were silent for a few minutes afterwards, watching the restaurants and skyscrapers roll by.

"Maybe you should keep this van of yours parked in that alley more often - Judy lives in that building, and I walk by often." Nick said to the little fox, who cocked his head. "It'll let me give you a hard time more often."

"Ehh. Maybe. Promise you won't give me trouble for the pawpsicle hustling?" His friend asked.

"I've already let off Flash from at _least_ fifty speeding tickets. You think hustling will bother me? It's good business." He thought for a moment. "I might even be able to help you get a permit for it." Nick concluded, enjoying the idea.

The fennec fox just laughed, both at the comment about Flash, and the idea of legal hustling. "And take away the fun? No, thanks." Nick just shrugged as street signs went by, and they passed an occasional car, but nothing busy as they began to move out of the more urban areas. Suddenly, the driver spoke up, "You said she lives there? Was she expecting you?" He asked.

Nick gasped. He was right! Now, Nick was going to be late, and Judy would worry. "Oh. Yeah. You're right, that's where I was going in the first place." He turned and glanced out the window - They were nearly in Tundratown. "Could we, uh… Turn around?" He asked the smaller fox sheepishly.

"Sure thing, brother. Wouldn't want you to be late to your date, after all." Finnick winked. "Now, I suggest holding on to something."

Nick barely had time to grasp the door handle before the van did a U-Turn, the tires screeching on the wet road. He yelled in surprise. They slid for a meter and slipped into the wrong lane for a few seconds, nearly hitting a motorcyclist that sped by. They heard the angry, accented shouts from the Koala riding it. Finnick laughed loudly and smashed the horn a few times. It was such a sudden motion, Nick forgot to retort the date comment. They leveled back between the lines, and were soon again passing the towering, dripping skyscrapers.

"So how does a bumpkin like her get along in the urban ghetto?" The fennec asked, occasionally glancing at the sideview mirror to be sure no on-duty ZPD officers had seen them. Nick just wondered how the little fox had known she was from a farm.

He thought. "Judy gets along very well. She's an incredibly adaptive person. Doesn't fear a thing." The little bunny truly was something phenomenal. He hadn't met anyone with her courage or charisma, and probably never would again. "Normally, I would make a comment about you calling this city a "ghetto" but that's a perfect word to describe her living conditions. It's terrible. The neighbors are loud and rude, the place is just barely clean enough to avoid the wrath of a health inspector." Nick sighed. "I wish she would find somewhere better."

Finnick was silent for a few short seconds. He had an unreadable expression on his tiny muzzle. "You really do love her, don't you?" He asked. He didn't seem angry or sarcastic, he just seemed… Interested. Content, as well, but curious.

"...What makes you ask that?" Nick answered the fennec's question with a question.

The words returned to him set him off. "I know plenty about girls, dope! I've been on dates, I watch around! I'll admit, I've never been successful, but when you've spent as much time mammal-watching as I have, you learn a thing or two. Not my fault you're an idiot." He stated angrily. "When you act like you really care about someone else, it usually means you love them. Or they're an awesome friend." Then, just as quickly as the anger came, it subsided. "I'll bet, sure as hell, it's great to have a friend like that." He ended his little rant, a wistful expression appearing on his face for a second.

They slowed to a stop outside of Judy's apartment building, the patter of rain becoming deafening as the water from the roof high above joined the rainwater to crash on the top of the van. The little fox smiled. "Welcome to your stop. Thank you for taking Finnick Express. That'll be one buck." The little fox held out a paw, a humored smile on his face.

Nick just shook his head and returned the smile. "It seems I've forgotten my wallet. I.O.U.?" he asked.

"I don't see why not. I plan on seeing you again soon. _Right?_ Don't want to get bopped again by little ol' Finny. _Right?_ " The little fox said through the smile, less of which had begun to reach his eyes. His hand twitched in the direction of the baseball bat.

Nick shuttered. "Nope, nope. Yep, I'll see you soon. I'll give your dollar then. Have a nice day!" he poured out, and the little fox smiled even broader, retracting his hand from his weapon.

"Good."

Nick turned to the door of the car and placed a paw on the handle. Then, he hesitated. The van shook as another car passed by, and water splashed from the road onto Finnick's window. Nick looked at the little fox, whose head was turned, his eyes following the little drops of water as they made rivers down his window for other raindrops to follow on.

"Finnick?" He asked. The fennec turned his head, a question in his eyes. The question was quickly replaced by surprise as Nick leaned over and wrapped his wet arms around his friend. "I don't know if I love her, but even if I do, you're still a great guy." He pulled away, his face adorning a gentle smile that had replaced the usual sly, clever smile. "I haven't forgotten you. You've always got a friend in me." Nick put his paw back on the handle of the door. "Thanks for the ride, buddy."

Finnick's eyes got big, before he turned away to hide the little tears that had formed in them. "Thanks, Nick. Thanks." He said, wiping his tiny arm across his face. He didn't move for a second, before turning back to his friend, a look of annoyance on his face. "What the hell are you still doing in my car? Get out, I don't want your wet fur on my crap." He told Nick angrily.

Nick laughed, his coy smile returning. "See you, Mr. Grumpy."

"Damn straight you will." was all the fox said in reply.

Nick jumped out of the car, plunging into the arctic rain. The weather's dread tattoo drove into his mind, and it hurt his ears almost as much as it did inside the van.

He still waited a second to watch the van pull away from the curb. The fennec behind the wheel honked the horn twice, and Nick waved in return, smiling.

Then, he felt the cold of the water, added onto the chill his bones had been experiencing. Huh. I almost felt warm for a while there, he thought as he entered the building. His paws made wet slaps on the floor. He was tracking a little tributary behind him, which fed into the great river outside.

Lucky for Nick, the complex had an indoor concrete staircase at the end of the first hallway, which he began to travel upwards. Through the thin walls, he could hear the echo of other animals as he passed their floors. He heard shouting, stomping, laughing, lovemaking… All the noises that came together for the grueling symphony that hovered in the apartment building. He shook his head in discomfort, and began to shiver from the cold of the rain.

He reached Judy's floor and turned a corner to be in her hallway, when he smacked into the exact bunny he was looking for. She wore a dark-red plaid button-up shirt and short grey pants, and jumped to her feet, rubbing her head. "You should really watch where you're-" she began before she saw the soaking-wet Nick crawling to his knees. "Nick! I was just about to go looking for you! Where have you been? Are you okay? I thought you might have-"

"I wasn't gone that long, Carrots. You bunnies, always so worrisome." He cut off her barrage of words, dragged himself from the thin, cheap carpet, and gave her a hug.

She wrinkled her nose and embraced him back for a second, before peeling herself away from him. "Ew, you're all wet. Did you get caught in the rain?" she asked, brushing as much of the water from her shirt as she could.

Nick gave her a deadpan look. "No, I decided to take a dip in the lake on the way here." He said in a voice so flat, it would have put a bad actor to shame. Judy just laughed.

"You could always take the subway and not be afraid of everyone that isn't Me and Chief Bogo. Maybe less 'dips in the lake would happen that way.'" She said to him, making quotation marks with her fingers, before she turned to pick up the umbrella she had dropped in the collision.

Nick just shook his head and smiled. "Does the cute little fluff _care_ about my well-being?" He put extra emphasis on the word 'cute' as he started for Judy's room.

"The 'cute little fluff-'" She stated, mimicked his voice with an added touch of condescension. "-doesn't want the smell of wet fox on everything in her little apartment!"

The wet fox in question couldn't help but turn his head to take a quick whiff of his shirt, which didn't smell as bad as he thought it would have. "Hey! I don't smell that bad!" He said to her as she caught up to him. "I think the rain washed it all away." Judy just rolled her eyes and put forth a smile.

"Get in here, I'll get you a towel. Can't have you making a puddle." She said as she unlocked the entrance and lead the way into the half-studio. The familiar apartment met his gaze - he had been inside the tiny abode many times before. The door swung shut behind him.

He gazed around the room lazily and sat down on Judy's bed, waiting for her to get back from the bathroom with a fresh towel. Sniffing at the air, he was delighted to be greeted with the familiar smell of carrots and freshly cleaned bedsheets, which washed away the scent of his own wet self.

Nick leaned back and stretched his waterlogged joints before noticing something - Ever since he had been back with Judy, a warm feeling had overtaken him. He remembered feeling it when he had seen Finnick again, and suddenly, the cold bothered him a little less than it did.


End file.
